Fate: Kill

Chapter 14

A pair of red eyes shone under the cover of the darkness of the tall trees overlooking a distant army camp.
One.
T

wo.
Three.
The eyes flickered minutely in sharp contrast to the neutrality of a hardened gaze before blinking in concentration honed through several years of experience.
'Breathe, yet not.'
'To be seen, yet not.'
The words ingrained into Akame's mind from her years training within the Empire's underground Assassination Unit employed by the Prime minister, surfaced within her head. Images, techniques, lethality, memories, they were all what had shaped her to be what she was today.
An Assassin.
A Weapon.
Her only reason to live was to see out the orders of her superiors.
A tool of war.
She was not supposed to think, nor was she supposed to feel. Emotions were worthless in the face of death. It was why Akame rarely smiled let alone expressed herself. Such things weren't needed in battle.
Even after she had joined Night Raid, she still found it hard to return to being how she once was, human. To laugh for the sake of laughing. To live for the sake of living. To love for the sake of loving. They were all such foreign concepts of a bygone past. Of course, she'd been getting better in her time at Night Raid, but right now, it seemed as if all the progress that she had made had all vanished.
One swing.
One cut.
Blood splattered across her face, her expression, impassive as she retreated into the woods and back into the shadows.
"She went that way! Hurry before she gets away again!"
She clicked her tongue almost inaudibly. One was not allowed to make noise during a kill lest they alert their enemies of their location.
Another concept drilled deep into her psyche.
She picked up her speed and all at once she stopped. Her heart beat slowed, her muscles growing taught before relaxing. Not a word. Not a sound. Not a trace left behind.
Once again, she was one with the darkness.
Her pursuers sprinted directly passed her.
Her eyes blinked open, the deep red contrasted with the blood over her face, giving her an appearance of apathy, of disinterest.
How many had she eliminated now?
She didn't know, nor did it matter.
There were still other targets left alive.
She took in a breath, and in the next instant, she was gone; the rustle of the leaves the only indication of her presence, but before the leaves could even touch the ground, they were cut into pieces, leaving not a trace behind.
Although she'd forgotten the most important aspects of being human, in return she maintained a single outlook that could keep her going even when she had nothing left.
Kill for the sake of Killing.
No matter how savage or inhuman it was to take away the life of another, in one way or another there was no doubt that in her life as a Tool of War, it gave her purpose.
Purpose alone was enough. Because if she truly had nothing, then she might as well have had been dead. A mere puppet that wouldn't have been persuaded by Najenda to redirect the target of her killings. In the end, whether in the Empire or Night Raid, she was still a Killer. Thinking for even a moment that she wasn'twhile in Calla was only fooling herself.
This was where she should be, on the battlefield.
Here, where the dead piled up in number every waking moment was where she belonged. Even someone broken like her could make a difference in this environment. She wouldn't complain, nor care about anything else anymore because even someone like her had found someone that she could rely on and have faith in.
That alone was enough.
She appeared, perched on the uppermost branch of a tree, her gaze calculating.
Admittedly, the skills that she'd learned as an Assassin weren't without merit. How else could she single handedly hold back the movements of an entire army?
Night and the evening were the opportune moments.
Aim not for the body, but for the head and even the strongest of beasts will fall.
This was the same analogy for large armies. More often than not, the main infantry and vanguards of armies in Wakoku and the Empire were not comprised of high-ranking individuals, but made out of farmers and lesser citizens. Slaves were the most common fodder with nothing to lose in society but their lives.
It was a harsh reality, but one that the world lived with.
Getting to the point though, Akame long since knew that such infantry and individuals weren't worth killing.
'Cut the head.'
'Cut the throat.'
Within the army camp her targets were simple to discern. Those adorned with lavish ornaments and jewellery, or those with special badges and armours, the leaders. Without their leaders, command and order within any army would fall to ruin.
Who better than to prioritize killing these targets than an Assassin?
It was basically her profession.
Still, a glimmer of hesitation flashed over her monotone features.
Her gaze shifted down towards the enemy's captives.
She'd killed a man earlier, but in truth that was only a distraction to lure away the enemy's main forces surrounding the captive travellers.
It was true that she had lured away many of the guards and soldiers around them, but from a professional perspective, they weren't her true objective to begin with. It just so happened that many of the army leaders resided in tents near the captive area to oversee the capture process of travelling migrants.
This was the perfect opportunity. While the bulk of the guards were distracted, the remaining security around the leaders would be child's play for her to bypass. At the same time though, who would the other leaders in various other part of the army-camp direct their anger towards for failing to apprehend her?
The captives would surely be severely beaten, or murdered in the worst-case scenario.
Her lips pursed subconsciously.
She should focus on the bigger picture.
Her hands trembled visibly, the grip that she had around her sword slackening in her indecision.
It was likely that this large army was headed for an attack on Calla. Crippling them now would increase the odds of the people that she'd grown close to in Calla surviving a surprise siege. It would save Shirou trouble.
Picturing Shirou overworking himself for the benefit of others without a complaint left her feeling reminiscent of the short time that she'd had along side him.
What would he have had done?
Of course, she'd only be fooling herself if she said that she didn't know, and that was why, fundamentally, a part of Akame had already changed.
'One does not need a reason to save others.'
The bark of the tree's branch groaned and bent as she put weight into her feet and pushed off of it to propel herself directly into the air.
Her arms closed in around her chest, her legs pressing together to keep her as sleek as possible in her descent; increased surface area would only slow her down and make her easier to see.
However, she wore black, the colour of the shadows.
Even if she was seen, she would look to be nothing more than a blurred figure in the short time frame.
One second, then two.
That was all that is took before her feet touched the ground and she began bolting forward.
The sharpest weapon of any Assassin wasn't the weapon in their hands, but their speed.
Once she'd decided on a goal, she would see it through.
The time had come.
Honestly, she didn't know if she was just being stupid or not, but rather than make the decision that was best for the situation, she wanted to fight for a better kind of outcome.
Save one to save many?
Save the life of friend over the life of a stranger?
Well, why not save them all?
That was what Shirou would have had done.
"GOOOO! NOW!" She screamed, raising her voice to the loudest that she'd ever done before while using both hands to brandish Murasame.
The leaders were alerted of her almost instantly, but before them, were all the captives held in the western area of the encampment who stared at her blood-soaked form in shock.
There was life to be seen within those red eyes.
Purpose.
Identity.
"I am Akame of Night Raid!" Yes, that was who she was no; she soon shook her head. "I am Akame of Calla!"
It was the name of a town that all of the captive travellers had heard of not through the voice of the nobility and high-ranked individuals, but through the voice of the people. The beggars, the poor, the destitute, all of them spoke of it with yearning to the point where it seemed to only be a place of myth.
Calla, the town of New Beginnings.
"To the east! Through the winding road, and passed the pine trees, stands a wall of steel and the promise of safety, food, and refuge. Your journey was not a lie! Hope lies in the horizon so seek it and strive. Never give up, because, because," Akame fumbled for words, the memories of her time in Calla appearing in her mind one by one in flashes. The world could be cruel, hateful, mired by pettiness, but she had seen a different side of it.
The joy she shared.
The disbelief.
The distrust met by acceptance.
Smiling faces.
Laughter contagious.
All of it amounted to a single conclusion that she'd never considered before. The words formed in her mouth before she even knew it, natural, yet strong.
"Never give up because this world is beautiful."
Hope would always exist within despair.
Where there was shadow, there would be light.
A balance of good and evil.
In a world suffused with ill intent and corrupted with filth, for once, there was good. She had seen it, basked in it, and now it was her turn to show that spark of good to the rest of the people like her and those living in desolation.
"Run, hurry!"
Akame gritted her teeth before charging towards the incoming guards. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hold them for long. What could she alone do against an army with just a single sword alone?
She didn't care.
The captives swallowed, their expressions skeptic, but moved by the emotion that Akame had been able to convey with her clumsy words.
"Run!"
The captives all began fleeing in the direction that Akame specified. No guards were able to stop them because Akame had made sure to target the one's intent on stopping the crowd first.
Just as water would spill forth increasingly from a single break in a dam, one avenue of escape was enough to trigger a chain reaction from the captives. It was a stampede effect.
Good.
This was good enough.
Akame sucked in a breath of air and lowered herself into a fighting stance, her knees bent and shoulders squared. She was tired, near exhausted, but in another sense, she felt stronger than she had ever been before.
She'd buy as much time as she could to guarantee the escape of the captives.
The soldiers of Wakoku were approaching en-masse.
Still, due to her disruption and the fact that the main force had been drawn away, the initial attackers only numbered in a few dozen.
It was fine.
She could handle this.
A group of two were the first to attack her, but she didn't stay in place.
To stay in place while out numbered was the same as suicide.
She was an Assassin; she'd fight while retreating, never staying in a single location.
Moreover, why stay and fight?
She glanced over to where the captives had escaped from, leaving behind a cluttered trail of trampled tents and belongings.
She nodded her head.
This could work.
Fear in and out of itself was always crippling.
She ran to where the captives had made their escape and suddenly jumped to the trees, a feat that none of the approaching warriors of Wakoku seemed able to presently replicate. It didn't matter. While they were preoccupied trying to get to her, she used the time to deliver a single message.
"Go ahead and chase them," she said icily.
Her crimson coloured eyes glowed dimly under the reflection of the moonlight.
To the leaders of the army who were looking at her from afar, they couldn't help but swallow when they realized that those demon-like eyes were narrowed in their direction.
"I will be waiting."
The leaders were not fools. They quickly understood the implications of Akame's words.
Should they send soldiers out to apprehend the captives, who would be left to defend their lives from an Assassin of Akame's calibre?
It was like a knife was being pressed to their necks.
They shivered, and in the moment that their eyes blinked, Akame was gone.
However, the constant threat of death remained.
Rather than chase the captives, in their paranoia, the leaders ordered the soldiers to stand guard over their tents throughout the night.
It was a humiliation that the main leaders of the army camp could harldy endure.
"This goddamned Bitch!"
A wanted poster of Akame of Night Raid was torn into pieces as a cup of wine was throne towards the ground with a clattering noise. Its silver frame rattled with the gritted noise of metal as it rolled over the floor, its contents spreading outwards in a tiny puddle.
The others standing at attention within the room flinched out of reflex, but the other people seated on a table in the middle of the commander's tent were unperturbed.
"Quell your anger, Lord of Houju," an older man spoke sternly. "You are representing your people in this coalition and your behaviour is reflecting poorly."
The man who had tossed the cup of wine was in his late forties and stood at roughly six-feet tall. He was bald and had numerous tribal marks that ran up and down his upper torso in a swirl-like pattern. He was dressed in a battle kilt and had leather armour firmly strapped over his chest.
He was the Lord of Houju, one of the twenty-two Nations of Wakoku known for their barbaric and indulgent life-style. Manners was a skill that they clearly did not possess.
"Shut it you geezer, you're only saying that because your camp has been unaffected due to how many guards you've taken along from Raika," the Lord of Houju sneered in derision.
The Lord of Raika who was mentioned was the leader of the Nation of Raika of Wakoku. He was an old man who'd maintained his position in Raika as its dictator. His greed for power and prestige drove him to kill his father and brothers for his current position. He was a venomous snake of a wrinkled yet kind-looking old man that would sooner kill his own sons than abdicate from his authority.
"Tch," The Lord of Raika didn't bother arguing. It was best to never argue with fools from the beginning.
There were three Lords of Wakoku currently present in the room. Presently, both the Lords of Raika and Houju turned to their third companion.
"Ready to join the discussion, Lord of Hageshi?" The Lord of Raika was growing impatient from tolerating the Lord of Houju's presence.
His attention redirected, the Lord Houju glowered provokingly. "Yeah, unlike everyone here, your forces were the ones who were already repelled."
The Lord of Hageshi gritted his teeth and glared, cowing the Lord of Houju into silence. The Lord of Hageshi was an intimidating looking man well into his fifties. However, the man looked to be only in his twenties. He had toned and rippled muscles that bulged even from the combat vest and pants that he wore. Worse, he had a unique aura around him that reminded both the Lord of Houju and Raika of a tense Danger Beast.
"You best be careful with your words, Lord of Houju, that loss was due to ill preparation and matters outside of regular intervention," the Lord of Hageshi crossed his arms in displeasure. "See to it that you never bring up this matter again, or your lands will be the first Hageshi will target at the end of this collation of nations."
The Lord of Houju paled while the Lord of Raika intervened.
"Enough of this matter Lord of Hageshi," the Lord of Raika raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Besides, weren't you only interested in this alliance to settle a score with a new enemy?"
The Lord of Hageshi grunted at the Lord of Raika's reminder, but the Lord of Houju couldn't help but snort. The report that the Lord Hageshi had briefed the other nations on was absurd.
"There's no way you're going to convince us all that a single person was able to repel the advance of several mountain-sized Danger Beasts alone." The Lord of Houju was careful in how he delivered his tone despite rubbing salt in a wound. As expected of the Lord of Houju. He was a fool who continued to irritate the man who'd literally just threatened him. "Trying to save your pride can only go so far."
The Lord of Hageshi bristled, but reeled in his anger when he noticed the uncaring gaze of the Lord of Raika. Neither of the two seemed to believe the authenticity of the report that he'd submitted.
He grunted.
At the very least, the more of them that died in this conflict, the simpler it would be to annex their lands.
"Let's get onto the matter at hand," The Lord of Raika said formally while clasping his hands in front of him. "Akame of Night Right is becoming more of a nuisance by the day. Do we not have a single person capable of dealing with her?"
The Lord of Hageshi fell silent in thought while considering the matter. He'd always been both smart and meticulous. He knew the combined might of the present army like the back of his hand.
"We have plenty who can deal with a person of her calibre." He concluded. "However, the main problem is that she wisely avoids open confrontation."
The Lord of Houju spoke up after calming himself down. He breathed in and out before speaking flatly. "We of Houju have brought many warriors, but not many assassins. Worse, we as a coalition have sent most of our assassin's and agile personnel to act as scouts. They won't be back to report of Calla's situation until another five or so days in order to avoid early detection."
The information that the Lord of Houju accurately detailed fully explained the current trouble the army was having. They hadn't expected to be attacked by such a high-level Assassin such as Akame weeks before the planned attack on Calla.
"Calla, that damned place," the Lord of Raika cursed aloud while beating his walking stick on the floor beneath him. "Our people of Wakoku keep leaving, and no amount of incentive to stay seems to effect them for long. There are always people seeking for better, and many of our people have grown tired with their current lifestyles and wish to migrate anyway."
"The only way to stop them fully, is to destroy their destination," the Lord of Hageshi uncrossed his arms and leaned his body forward to assess the logistic papers spread across the table in front of him.
Both the Lord of Houju and Raika agreed with a curt nod to the Lord of Hageshi's statement.
"With that in mind, we must find a method to deal with Akame of Night Raid soon before morale drops within the camp." The Lord of Raika advised. "It's already been three days and we still haven't apprehended her."
The Lord Houju nearly exploded at the reminder, but he managed to hold his anger in. Still, traces of it lingered in the Lord of Houju's voice.
"That's not even the main issue!" The Lord of Houju argued while glaring at the Lord of Raika. "Do you not know how many captives she's rescued from our hands? We need those people for labour and we agreed that we'd split them equally. Now there's only a large handful of them left and because of what reason? Because a bunch of cowards refused to give chase because of a single threat?" The Lord of Houju's tone was heated. "Akame is one person. No matter how capable she is, she can't kill every important military leader at once."
The Lord of Houju gave a sound argument, but the Lord of Raika already had a counter.
"Fear is a horrid thing. Can you really blame them, Lord of Houju?" The Lord of Raika spoke languidly, both hands clasped on top of his walking cane. "You're correct that there's no way that Akame could kill them all, but just the thought of being one of the few to die because you sent the nearby guards out to chase the captives is crippling. If it were you, Lord of Houju, would you risk your life sending out your personal guards in order to apprehend a certain number of captives, or keep those guards near you in the face of master killer?"
"…" The Lord of Houju fell silent before grimacing. "Alright fine, get to the point. How can we deal with her?"
The Lord of Hageshi delivered the ill news. "We can't."
Everyone had dark faces when hearing that specific truth. Before the Lord of Houju or Raika could argue, the Lord of Hageshi continued.
"Akame is both fast and agile. Worse, she isn't stupid." The Lord of Hageshi maintained a natural expression as if he didn't care for the problem at all while speaking. "Her experience is above that of most warriors present in the camp and she's never stayed for too long before retreating back into the woods. As an enemy, she is formidable because we have no way of dealing with her at the moment, and none of us wish to use any of our trump cards this early."
It was a fair point, but it didn't mean that it wasn't infuriating.
"If she'd been rescuing the captives, why don't we just use them as bait?" The Lord of Houju asked to clarify.
"How sure are you of that statement?" It was the shrewd Lord of Raika that brought up his doubts.
"What do you mean?"
The Lord of Raika shrugged. "Consider it from Akame's perspective. She's a trained Assassin, cold blooded and unfeeling. She had no reason to actively rescue the captives, but the fact that she continued to do so anyway hints that she may be trying to 'bait' us into giving chase to those captives."
The Lord of Raika had always been cautious. It was how he'd attained his position through careful planning. This situation was no different. Better to be safe then dead.
The Lord of Raika raised a single finger while talking solemnly. "In essence, she may have been telling the truth when she goaded the guards to recapture the captives. This leaves the military leaders vulnerable and will make it easier for her to kill her targets when they're unprotected."
It was a valid analysis, and one that caused the mood in the room to sour further.
"Fucking bitch." The Lord of Houju glowered. "Well, what are we supposed to do then?"
The Lord of Hageshi straightened his back and stood up from his seated position by the table. He'd heard enough. "We'll temporarily fall back and meet up with the other Lords of the twenty-two Nations of Wakoku." He said, causing the other two to fall silent.
The Lord of Raika and Houju were inwardly against the Lord of Hageshi's idea because it would be an embarrassment to ask for aid from foreign rival nations. Still, they had little choice left due to Akame's expertise.
"Once the ninjas from the nation of Jinsoku arrive, Akame's risk factor should be greatly mitigated," the Lord of Hageshi spoke dismissively. "We can catch her and kill her then."
"Do we really have no other choice?" The Lord of Houju looked like he'd swallowed a fly. "How can this entire army run away from one person?"
The Lord of Raika sighed in irritation. "Akame is a lethal Assassin. That alone is enough reason. If the leaders of an army are killed, what good is an army? It is us who have come ill-prepared."
"Fine." The Lord of Houju eventually relented. "Then we will temporarily fall back, however, we still have too many captives which will severely slow the march. Akame would have little trouble continuing her assassinations at such a slow pace."
"Isn't this a simple problem?" The Lord of Hageshi spoke up. "Transport the captives that will be of use, primarily the young and the able-bodied, and dispose of the rest."
Light shone with the Lord of Raika's eyes.
"An ingenious proposal," the Lord of Raika praised. "The scent of such a large amount of rotting flesh should draw in several numbers of Danger Beasts which Akame will have to avoid should she decide to tail us. Moreover, by the time the Danger Beasts come, the speed of our march should allow us enough distance that they won't bother with us."
The Lord of Houju did not take long to convince.
"Very well, kill the ones we don't need."
It was a unanimous decision.
For the first time in several days, Akame felt an ill-premonition despite her success in cowing the enemy. Something was wrong, but she could think of nothing that she'd done that was wrong. She'd executed her actions to perfection and guaranteed that not a single mistake had been made.
Sure, she was tired and weary, but her plan was somehow working.
Eventually, she'd be able to save the rest of the captives by relying on the inherent selfishness of those in power wishing desperately to cling onto their lives.
Her strategy was a success, and it gave her an odd sort of feeling.
She could still recall the grateful expressions that the rescued captives gave to her as they ran away. Many of them even bowed in her direction, and it was doing things to her mentality that she'd never considered before.
It was true that she was killing people in her profession as an Assassin, but this was the first time that she'd been fighting for the sake of others and not because Night Raid had taken on a job.
In simpler terms, it felt good to accept the gratitude of others.
Honesty, she should have had been happy, but no amount of preparation or intervention would have had prepared her for the sight that she would eventually see in front of her.
Her pupils dilated.
Puddles of blood soon began to shift into a flowing stream over the dirt.
"Help! NO Don't Please! Th-"
The gleaming light of a sword's edge cut into the skin of an aged woman's neck and lopped the head right off as if slaughtering chickens. Worse, the majority of the captives unfit for work were being hounded into a single group and directly butchered before the eyes of their family members who went berserk and uselessly tried to attack their oppressors.
"You bastards!" A group of teenagers punched and kicked at the warriors detaining them, but no amount of struggling did any good.
It was a massacre.
Her breath hitched in her throat and she felt her body subconsciously beginning to stiffen. It was weird. She'd long since grown used to seeing such acts of cruelty, but somehow a part of her was screaming at her to MOVE and do something.
Naturally, as an Assassin, she knew that there was no benefit to be gained by stepping out at this moment, but, but damn it all! What was she supposed to do?!
Her heart began to beat rapidly within her, her senses flaring to heightened levels.
'If you step out there, you'll die.'
It was a logical conclusion. There were no doubts to be had. Although she had the upper hand in agility, technique, and weaponry, she would still be outmatched.
'Then would you just watch on?'
She pursed her lips and felt a budding sense of grief welling up from within her.
She shouldn't feel.
She shouldn't want.
Yet that was precisely what she was feeling.
It was Calla's fault. It had dulled her disposition as an Assassin and she herself no longer had any idea of what sort of existence that she was becoming. She couldn't return to being just an innocent girl; she'd already covered her hands too deeply in blood and death for that.
Then should she continue just being an Assassin to be used on the side that she agreed with?
Her complexion paled.
That wasn't quite the outcome that she wanted either.
Right now, for the first time, she felt truly lost.
All that she had as mental support was a single promise that even she inwardly knew was flimsy.
"I'd save you."
That was Shirou's promise, and yet wishing to be saved and directly committing suicide were two different concepts that Akame was quite clear about.
'I'm sorry.'
She smiled almost wistfull, her expression shifting subconsciously.
This decision was stupid, ridiculous, unbelievable, and yet somehow, she knew deep down within her that it was precisely the kind of choice that Shirou would have had made.
She charged; the wind whipping across her face, her form a blur.
Out of the tree line and into the open in the middle of the day, there was no way that she wouldn't be noticed. The leaders of the collation army of Wakoku were the most dumbfounded at the development, but they wouldn't waste the opportunity.
She charged on, using the shock of the enemy to quickly reach where the captives were being killed in droves. With a quick flash, they died within seconds to small cuts made through chinks in their armour.
The captives stared at her in a daze, yet different from before, there was no nowhere for them to run.
Behind Akame stood dozens of captives, in front of her, an army.
Her feet planted into the ground; her eyes narrowed towards the enemies approaching her.
Fight.
There would no running or fleeing in this situation.
She alone was the only one protecting the people behind her.
She gripped Murasame in her hands and brandished it with a small swing before holding it level to her shoulders in a ready stance.
Its cut was poison.
A means of sure death.
Murasame, a cursed Teigu exceedingly efficient at killing.
Akame could no longer count the number of people that she had killed with it, but it didn't matter.
'Come.'
Her eyes lost their light, her demeanor shifting into one of detachment.
The first attacker came, a large lumbering man equipped with an axe that was directed to swipe at her waist. She should have been cautious. She should have had retreated, but not this time with people behind her.
'Selka was faster.'
It was an idle observation.
She bent backwards, leaning low beneath the horizontal sweep and striking in a heart beat. A thin red line appeared over the man's forearms before the man collapsed dead.
Different from other forms of combat, Akame never needed a severe wound to eliminate a target. A nick was enough both to conserve her strength, and maintain her ideal distance.
When the first man went down, a second came, then a third, a fourth, and a fifth.
They just wouldn't stop.
An Assassin was never meant to undergo a frontal assault.
Bruises and cuts began to form over her skin, ranging from deep to light, but she continued on regardless.
She dodged left, rolled over the dirt, and just barely escaped decapitation.
Her exhaustion was building by the second, but more than that, she didn't seem to understand what sort of phycological effect she was having on the enemies around her. She'd long since lost count of how many enemies that she'd killed, but the bodies left sprawled over the ground were evidence enough.
They had formed a large pile and still Akame looked at her opponents with an unflinching stare despite her injuries.
It was horrifying.
This was the strength of Akame of Night Raid, one of the most renowned Assassins in the Empire.
Still, Akame eventually staggered. It was a lethal mistake and she knew it.
'Shit.' She inwardly cursed.
Before she could react, a sword pierced her left arm followed by her right.
She quickly pulled away, but the mobility in her arms was now basically useless. Worse, she was bleeding heavily, her vision blurry.
Rather than stop and retreat at this point, she forcibly lifted her right arm and bit down on Murasame's hilt with her mouth.
She could still fight.
Silence descended at her actions, apprehension growing in her surrounding enemy's eyes.
"S-She didn't even flinch."
"How many has she already killed? Why isn't she worn out yet?"
Anxiety was beginning to spread.
Honestly speaking, she no longer knew how much time had passed while she fought, but the sun which was still high over head was suddenly blotted out by thick clouds.
Shadows began to stretch, and in the dimness of a cloudy day, crimson eyes shone hollowly as Akame staggered forward on her feet. Without her arms, the only way she could really continue fighting was if she took the initiative. It would be impossible for her to react in time if she gave the enemy the time to launch their attacks.
She stepped forward, and for an instant, they stepped back.
Crows began to caw up in the air, attracted by the scent of fresh meat and blood.
At the rate Akame was fighting, the crows would probably be feasting on her flesh in a couple of hours. It was a morbid thought, but one that she'd only made in her detachment.
Really, what was her reason for fighting and continuing to fight for this long?
Even now she didn't know.
Her body carried her forward and directly against the enemy line.
It was hard to strike while holding her sword in her mouth, but it was less reliant on using her neck, and more dependant on the angle that she could push off the ground with using her legs.
She was getting more and more wounded over time, but she never let out even a single sound.
Tired yet fighting, she felt her body going numb. All that she could really do while dancing a hair's breadth away from the after life was think.
The metallic taste of iron seeped into her mouth as her teeth became strained from how hard she was biting down on Murasame.
What sort of person was she trying to be really?
Who was she?
Not an innocent girl.
Not just an Assassin.
But something more.
It was a concept and form of thought that she never in her life would have had considered before, but now was forced to acknowledge near the end.
It was Shirou's fault. Honestly, it was all because of him.
She felt her body going numb, but still she pushed on through sheer willpower.
Her body collapsed, Murasame just barely gripped in place by her teeth.
She could no longer move, but she finally understood the reason that she'd been able to fight on regardless of her present condition.
'I wanted to be a Hero.'
Her lips curved upward; her smile strained by weariness.
How ridiculous.
Just when was it that she'd started to believe in such a thing?
This was dangerous.
This wasn't the thinking and ideology of an Assassin.
Even if the thought was just for a moment, it had existed.
In a world that had no heroes, wouldn't the world have had been a better place if everyone within it was their own kind of Hero?
It was childish, but somehow the thought brought her a form of peace while watching the enemy's swords thrusting towards her in her moment of weakness.
She could no longer dodge.
If she was to die, then so be it.
She clenched her teeth, readjusting Murasame's angle in an effort to take down a couple more enemies with her. The moment that their swords would pierce her, she would crane her neck and cut her enemies if only a little. Death would soon ensue.
In the short interval before her coming death, the only thought in her mind was how many people had managed to escape in the chaos that she was causing?
It would be fine so long as she could save one. That way there would still be meaning in her resistance. Suddenly, she froze.
If Heroes were meant to save others, there was one other concept that Akame failed to realize.
Who would save the heroes?
"You, stupid idiot!"
A voice broke through the clamor of combat as a clawed fist pummeled Akame's nearby attackers into pulp.
"L-Leone?" Akame stammered out a name in her daze while looking at the woman who appeared crouched in front of her.
"Just shut up and save your strength. Sheesh," Leone shook her head exasperatedly before moving and taking Akame into her arms. "I don't know whose more of a fool. You or him."
A flag billowed in the wind over the horizon, but Akame didn't care for it as much as the impact Leone's words had.
What? What did she just say?
There could only be one 'him' that Leone was referring to.
Leone only pointed in response.
Akame blinked past the blurriness of her vision to see what Leone was pointing at, only to stiffen in disbelief.
"You're crazy for trying to take on an army by yourself to save a bunch of captives, but he's even crazier for a different reason."
Leone's words were entering Akame's ears, but for a moment she couldn't understand let alone comprehend them.
To save a single friend, an acquaintance he'd only known for a short time, that damn idiot did something that no sane person had ever done before.
The distant trees toppled to reveal what lay behind.
Familiar faces.
Acquaintances that Akame had once seen on the road.
The people of Calla mobilized.
"He brought an army."
Thanks for reading and wow, I stayed up pretty late to finish this. On one hand, I probably should proof read just to check for any spelling errors, but I'm probably too tired to even notice them. I'll do a proof read tomorrow. I'll just trust that my regular writing was without any serious mistakes.